1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Coastline
660 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Washington State
Continental shelf
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Disputes
short section of boundary with Argentina is in dispute; two short sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute (Arroyo de la Invernada area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at the confluence of the Rio Quarai and the Uruguay)
Environment
subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods
Land area
173,620 km2
Land boundaries
1,564 km total; Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Land use
arable land 8%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 78%; forest and woodland 4%; other 10%; includes irrigated 1%
Natural resources
soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Terrain
mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Territorial sea
200 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)
Total area
176,220 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
17 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Infant mortality rate
23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
1,355,000 (1991 est.); government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)
Languages
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
69 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Literacy
96% (male 97%, female 96%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Uruguayan(s); adjective - Uruguayan
Net migration rate
-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
Interunion Workers' Assembly/National Workers' Confederation (PIT/CNT) Labor Federation
Population
3,141,533 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Religions
Roman Catholic (less than half adult population attends church regularly) 66%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Total fertility rate
2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
Capital
Montevideo
Chamber of Representatives
last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space 8%, other 1%; seats - (99 total) number of seats by party NA
Chamber of Senators
last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23% New Space 7%; seats - (30 total) Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space 2
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice President Gonzalo AGUIRRE Ramirez (since 1 March 1990)
Communists
50,000
Constitution
27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLICUDDY; Chancery at 1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006; telephone (202) 331-1313 through 1316; there are Uruguayan Consulates General in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and a Consulate in New Orleans US: Ambassador Richard C. BROWN; Embassy at Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo (mailing address is APO AA 34035); telephone [598] (2) 23-60-61 or 48-77-77; FAX [598] (2) 48-86-11
Executive branch
president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy
Independence
25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes)
Long-form name
Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Member of
AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Political parties and leaders
National (Blanco) Party, Carlos CAT; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez; Broad Front Coalition, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera - includes Communist Party led by Jaime PEREZ and National Liberation Movement (MLN) or Tupamaros led by Eleuterio FERNANDEZ Huidobro; New Space Coalition consists of the Party of the Government of the People (PGP), Hugo BATALLA; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), leader NA; and Civic Union, Humberto CIGANDA
President
last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (Colorado) 29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
large areas devoted to livestock grazing; wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Budget
revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1988)
Currency
new Uruguayan peso (plural - pesos); 1 new Uruguayan peso (N$Ur) = 100 centesimos
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $420 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Electricity
2,065,000 kW capacity; 5,677 million kWh produced, 1,819 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 2,732.8 (March 1992), 2,018.8 (1991), 1,171.0 (1990), 605.5 (1989), 359.4 (1988), 226.7 (1987)
Exports
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: hides and leather goods 17%, beef 10%, wool 9%, fish 7%, rice 4% partners: Brazil, US, Argentina, Germany
External debt
$4.2 billion (1991 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $9.1 billion, per capita $2,935; real growth rate 2.3% (1991 est.)
Imports
$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: fuels and lubricants 15%, metals, machinery, transportation equipment, industrial chemicals partners: Brazil 23%, Argentina 17%, US 10%, EC 27.1% (1990)
Industrial production
growth rate -1.4% (1990), accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Industries
meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
60% (1992 est.)
Overview
The economy is slowly recovering from the deep recession of the early 1980s. In 1988 real GDP grew by only 0.5% and in 1989 by 1.5%. The recovery was led by growth in the agriculture and fishing sectors, agriculture alone contributing 20% to GDP, employing about 11% of the labor force, and generating a large proportion of export earnings. Raising livestock, particularly cattle and sheep, is the major agricultural activity. In 1991, domestic growth improved somewhat over 1990, but various government factors, including concentration on the external sector, adverse weather conditions, and greater attention to bringing down inflation and reducing the fiscal deficit kept output from expanding rapidly. In a major step toward greater regional economic cooperation, Uruguay joined Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur). President LACALLE continues to press ahead with a broad economic reform plan to reduce state intervention in the economy, but he faces strong opposition.
Unemployment rate
8.5% (1991 est.)
Communications
Airports
90 total, 83 usable; 16 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
11 major transport aircraft
Highways
49,900 km total; 6,700 km paved, 3,000 km gravel, 40,200 km earth
Inland waterways
1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft
Merchant marine
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 56,737 GRT/104,143 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 1 container, 1 petroleum tanker
Ports
Montevideo, Punta del Este
Railroads
3,000 km, all 1.435-meter (standard) gauge and government owned
Telecommunications
most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave network; 337,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 99 AM, no FM, 26 TV, 9 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, and Marines), Air Force, Grenadier Guards, Police
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $168 million, 2.2% of GDP (1988)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 745,728; 605,392 fit for military service; no conscription